


Up the Stairs

by ZoS



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: Drabble, Drama, F/M, Family, Gen, Light Angst, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-09 01:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17397200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoS/pseuds/ZoS
Summary: There are three things Miranda values most in life: her daughters, her job, and her privacy.





	Up the Stairs

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a quick piece I needed to get out of my head.
> 
> Dedicated to **MeadowUndertown** , who actually tried to cancel her plans tonight to read this fic. That's dedication, babes.

Miranda's marriage is falling apart.

She knows it is because now it's out in the open. When it was just her and Stephen arguing about her lack of presence and his lack of understanding, she could have brushed it off as just that: arguing. It's something every couple does.

But now there's a third party involved. Now there's Andrea Sachs, who--kill Miranda, but she has no idea what on earth possessed that girl--showed up on the second floor of her house, where no assistant had ever been before, and watched Stephen levy criticism at her. And watched Miranda plead for his forgiveness.

And now she's snapped out of her bubble because this is real life and she and Stephen have a problem.

He acts as though this is all coming as a surprise. She was already who she is--Dragon Lady, Snow Queen, career obsessed--when they met. He said "I do," knowing full well that this was a threeway relationship, that her career would always come first, before relationships and friendships and most anything else--her children excluded.

And now he picks up a fight every other day. He picks up a fight because she wasn't able to make it to dinner. He picks up a fight because she gets home too tired to have sex. He picks up a fight because his ego gets too wounded when people call him Mr. Priestly, and how is that her fault?

And worst of all: Andrea has now witnessed one of those fights. Andrea saw not only Miranda begging for Stephen's understanding like a sad, little wife, but also Miranda allowing someone to speak to her that way; to lecture her and guilt trip her.

And this is so unfortunate because she has just begun to be impressed by that silly girl, who has finally stopped dressing like a hillbilly and started taking her job seriously. And so she trusted her enough in her home, her sanctuary. Only for Andrea to invade her privacy so shamelessly the first chance she got.

This will not go unpunished. Nobody makes Miranda feel this humiliated and helpless and doesn't pay. She will destroy her. She will make her wish she'd never even come to New York in the first place.

She deflates and her shoulders slump. What a mess. Miranda likes order.

The Book is still sitting on the top of the stairs, mocking her. She doesn't even feel like opening it.

She hears sounds coming from the floor above--murmuring. She sighs. Just what she needs right now. Picking the Book up off the floor, she places it on a table to be dealt with later and proceeds to climb the stairs, heading toward Caroline and Cassidy's room, where, sure enough, her daughters are wide awake and snickering between them.

It's way past their bedtime. In fact, Miranda tucked them in and kissed them goodnight almost two hours ago. She wonders if her argument with Stephen woke them up--though they were careful to be quiet, even a floor away--and hopes they didn't hear anything.

She wants to hide her and Stephen's problems from her children, who already have a far from normal childhood with media attention and divorced parents who resent each other and overall lack of stability, even as Miranda tries to give their life as much structure and routine as possible. But she concedes that even her girls have been able to feel the tension at home lately as her and Stephen's arguments have become more frequent and repetitive.

Relaxing her face to rid it of the wrinkle that is, no doubt, present between her brows, she pushes their door open and finds them on Cassidy's bed, whispering about something she can't make out.

They don't notice her until she sternly addresses them, "Girls," and two sets of wide eyes turn to her. They have the decency to look guilty.

Then she gives them a small smile because if they indeed heard her and Stephen, she doesn't want them thinking that she's mad at them, too. They would already be too upset. But they don't seem upset so either they're not letting on that they'e aware of anything or she's in the clear.

"I thought you were asleep," she says gently as she approaches the bed.

Caroline says, "We woke up," and nothing else. Miranda can't make out much from either of their faces.

Giving up, she says, "Well, it's late. You have school tomorrow," and pulls back the covers on Caroline's bed, a hint she takes quickly and jumps off Cassidy's bed.

Miranda waits until she's lying comfortably to drape the blanket over her and tighten it snugly around her body the way she likes. When she's done, Cassidy is already lying on her back, looking up at her expectantly. She smiles and repeats the process with her other daughter before kissing the top of her head. Her hair smells good and familiar and it brings comfort to her heart.

Before she can turn to kiss Caroline as well, she hears, "Mom?" and Caroline is already lying on her side, facing her.

"Yes, Bobbsey." She sits down on the edge of the bed and rubs her hand up and down her side.

"Cassidy and I want the new _Harry Potter_ book."

She turns her head toward Cassidy, who nods in confirmation. "Don't you have it already?" She frowns. "I thought you'd finished it."

"We did," Cassidy says. "We wanna know what happens next." Caroline nods.

Miranda sighs. Great. How will she manage that? But she gives her daughters an indulgent smile and says, "Okay, darlings. I'll see what I can do." Because she will. She'll get them that book and anything else they want just to keep them happy, so they won't notice her crumbling marriage and their tense home life and all her other shortcomings.

There's not much she can do about all those things, but getting them a book is something she _can_ do. That won't be another reason for them to be disappointed in her.

"Now go back to sleep," she says and kisses Caroline's forehead. They both grin excitedly and something inside her heart explodes.

She leaves the door slightly ajar because she knows that Caroline doesn't like sleeping in complete darkness and Cassidy values her privacy, and heads back downstairs to retrieve the Book.

Stephen is either in bed already or his study, no doubt giving her the silent treatment (how mature) so she'll have enough peace and quiet to work. Her interaction with the twins has calmed her enough and she can't help the bout of love and tenderness that suddenly fills her.

Her girls are the best thing in her life and she'll do literally anything for them. Maybe she should consult them on what to do about Stephen because she'd probably accept their input, if that would make them happy. But then she catches herself and shakes her head to rid it of that ridiculous thought. The last thing her babies need is to be sucked into this mess, not when she's trying to keep her marital problems as far away from them as she can.

No, she and Stephen will be fine. He'll get over himself like he always does and realize that just because she's a hard worker, doesn't mean that she doesn't care. Maybe she should offer him some sex to pacify him.

Well, after she's done with the Book, and if he's still awake and she has the energy.

Yes, she and Stephen will be fine. They have to be. Her daughters will not lose another father (figure) just because of some silly issue about a lack of attention. She'll make sure of that.

And Andrea, well, she'll have to be fired. She's seen too much, embarrassed Miranda too much. She'll make her life a living hell, then toss her to the curb. She has the whole night to think of something; she can already tell that she won't be getting too much sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: I follow the real twins on Instagram and they're as obsessed with Harry Potter in real life, even now.


End file.
